Shakespeare in Santa Cruz: Performance History, 1981 to Now

Literature

WHO: Emma Bavera, Avella Degennaro, January Johnston, Sean Keilen, Lilly Reed

WHAT: Explore the records of Santa Cruz Shakespeare in McHenry Library for information about past productions of Hamlet and As You Like It and write brief histories of those productions for use in community education programs sponsored by Shakespeare Workshop and in playbills and other publications associated with the upcoming summer season at Santa Cruz Shakespeare.

WHY: To preserve the rich and storied history of Shakespearean theater here in Santa Cruz as its legacy projects a bright future for Santa Cruz Shakespeare and its rekindled relationship with UCSC.

WHAT'S NEXT: Finalizing our production history write ups and incorporating feedback from Santa Cruz Shakespeare representatives.

THE WOW: We all enjoyed diving into the archives and piecing together images of what the Shakespeare Santa Cruz productions were like over the decades. Some highlights included seeing the progression from costume sketches to production photos, watching footage from older productions, noticing how key Shakespeare Santa Cruz members’ roles morphed and evolved throughout the years, and learning about all their unique and innovative takes on the Bard’s work.

Emma Bavera

Avella DeGennaro - Sophomore, Literature major.

January Johnston - Senior. Transfer student. Literature major. Dean’s list.

Lilly Reed - Junior, Transfer student, Literature major